


Silver White Winters that Melt into Springs

by Kaoru_chibimaster



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, M/M, Slice of Life, Supernatural Elements, very mild sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoru_chibimaster/pseuds/Kaoru_chibimaster
Summary: Something strange had been going on every winter for the last few years…
Relationships: Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Silver White Winters that Melt into Springs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snowflakeofdestruction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowflakeofdestruction/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, Snowflake!

“Hey, Olette?”

“Yeah, Roxas?”

Roxas sat with his chin in his hands, perched on the steps that opened up into the sandlot as he and Olette watched Seifer, the resident “head of the disciplinary committee” (whatever that was), swing wildly and violently at a nervous looking Rai holding a defensive Struggle bat. His stance was all wrong and, quite frankly, if he didn’t have so much top-strength, Seifer would’ve long since knocked it out of his hands.

As it was, Seifer seemed to be having too much fun scaring the shit out of his friend with those uncoordinated swipes. Roxas was looking forward to next summer just to get the satisfaction of teaching Seifer how to _really_ Struggle. The hard way.

Of course, considering this godforsaken heat, it might as well have been a second summer happening right now.

“Wasn’t it supposed to get cold, like, last month?”

“…I guess?”

She probably hadn’t paid enough attention to the weather to know. Roxas remembered, specifically because last month, exactly four weeks and two days ago, he’d been sitting in Olette’s house watching tv. The weather came on and he remembered his parents making some sort of comment about him taking her to the winter festival and enjoying the snow some time before he’d gotten there, and it’d hit him as he watched the weatherman drone on about the coming snow flurries.

He didn’t want to take her to the winter festival. He didn’t really want to take her anywhere. He wasn’t much interesting in dating her anymore.

Or any other girl, for that matter.

It’d been a hoot once he’d figured it out. Here he’d been the “straight” brother in his little sibling trio. Not so much anymore.

Either way, it’d lead to a not so surprising break-up—because apparently Olette had figured it out before Roxas had—and a dozen afternoons just like this: two recently broken-up fifteen-year-olds trying to figure out how to be friends again.

It’d made things a little too awkward for Hayner and Pence to stand, so here they were. By themselves. Watching Seifer congratulate himself for a swing that, by all means, should have dislocated his shoulder.

Making some sort of conversation, Roxas supposed.

“It was supposed to snow a couple weeks ago,” Roxas shrugged, chin slipping deeper into his cupped palms. His hands were sweaty…well, his _everything_ was sweaty thanks to this ridiculous heat.

How ironic that it would start after his break-up, actually. As if to say “no snowy, magical winter festival for you”.

“I guess…” Olette sighed, leaning back on her hands as her attention remained trained on the spectacle before them. Roxas shifted his gaze to her just as a pained shout echoed through the sandlot and he didn’t bother to look back and see what happened. It didn’t take a genius to guess.

“Would you like a dash of awkward with those sighs, Olette?”

He did manage to pull a snort out of her with that winner.

“I think I’m good, thanks,” she chuckled, hand to her mouth as her cheeks turned rosy pink. It was a cute gesture, but Roxas found himself…disinterested? He didn’t see what he thought he would have when he looked at her. Clearly that was what landed them in this…whatever this was, in the first place.

Maybe he ought to start fresh once high school ended. Take a chance out there in the world. It wasn’t so much that he was afraid of staying here and being stuck with _this_ , but Roxas wasn’t interested in stagnating in plain, boring old Twilight Town for the rest of his life.

“You know, I’m thinking…” he started, trailing off until he knew he had her attention. Slowly, hesitantly, she met his eyes for what felt like the first time in ages. It’d sucked trying to get her to do that before just then. It was like she was hiding from him; hiding behind fake smiles and changed subjects. Roxas hated it.

“When we graduate, I wanna move,” he said. It was quiet. His chest burned from how he’d held his breath before the words finally came out.

“You’re leaving TT?” She looked away again. Roxas’ fingers clenched as he fought the urge to turn her head towards him again. “You don’t have to.”

Sighing, he finally opened up from his slumped posture, returning his attention towards the botched Struggle practice as well. His body mirrored hers, hands rested back on the concrete as the unseasonal warmth seeped into his palms.

“I want to.”

He didn’t want to leave his friends, per say. Even after the awkward break-up and the even more mortifying escapade out of the proverbial closet Roxas hadn’t even known he’d resided in, he didn’t _want_ to leave his life in Twilight Town behind. All of his memories were here. Running the streets with Hayner and Pence and Olette, lounging in their usual spot under the tracks, eating ice cream up on the clocktower and even taking the odd trip to the beach. His brothers had been quick to leave the place behind the moment both of them hit eighteen. Ven had left three years ago to go live with his beefcake boyfriend in quaint, historic Daybreak Town and Sora had left one year ago after his free spirit demanded he spend the rest of his days surrounded by palm trees and white sand…and with Riku’s tongue down his throat. Really, Roxas was the odd one out, letting his attachment to his home hold him back. He’d had a vague idea of going to TTU with his friends, maybe starting a career as a professional Struggler or…who knew, starting his own sea salt ice cream shop. He really had no clue where he was going with his life, but the last month had sort of cemented it in his mind that staying wasn’t really it.

He didn’t know where he’d go, but he was starting to accept that he wasn’t going to stay here.

“I wanna go somewhere where winter isn’t this half-assed bullshit,” he continued, lazily pointing a finger at the clear sky. Not a fluffy cloud in sight. Not even a sign of that suspected snow.

“That’s a cop-out excuse.” Of course, she saw right through him. “But I can’t stop you from going wherever you wanna go. Wherever it is, I hope you’ll have a good life.”

Too nice for her own good, as usual. Roxas hoped she found someone special. Someone who’d actually appreciate that goodness in her. Roxas and Pence and Hayner would give whoever the poor bastard was the shovel talk of a lifetime once she did.

“Yeah, well…”

There was another pained cry that jolted them both out of their conversation, and Roxas looked back down from his sightless stare at the sky to find Seifer cursing and screaming as he held his shoulder with a white-knuckled grip. Roxas had called it correctly, it seemed.

The mood lifted slightly as both teenagers jumped to their feet, bustling up the stairs before Seifer noticed them and decided to take his self-inflicted pain out on them. They were snickering quietly, shoes slapping against each step, leaving behind the stale atmosphere of somber admittances and failed relationships. Just two friends trying to avoid a long-time bully as they raced their way up to their favorite meeting spot.

It was far from a typical early winter afternoon in Twilight Town, but Roxas would hold onto it as yet another memory for the road nonetheless. Maybe when he finally left, he’d find someone to bring back with him for that winter festival. Someone a little more compatible with him.

It was something to look forward to.

-o-o-o-o-

Three years and a long, arduous move later saw Roxas living somewhere he honestly hadn’t expected to be.

It was a little strange actually, when he thought about his split-second decision to come to Radiant Garden. It wasn’t for the (admittedly incredibly prestigious) University, or the gleaming cobblestones and lustrous gardens. It sure as hell wasn’t for the expensive housing prices. It was much simpler, and subsequently much odder than that.

Roxas hadn’t seen snow since his freshman year of high school.

Apparently Twilight Town had been stuck in some weird climate anomaly? Or whatever it was; Roxas wasn’t studying to be a meteorologist and quite frankly he’d rather listen to the people who had. Either way, Twilight Town suffered a perpetual summer for three years straight and it’d basically been the nail in the coffin that cemented Roxas’ decision to leave. He may have had other, more significant reasons to move away, but he had to admit that he really liked snow. He liked the glitter of it in the winter night air. He liked the feel of it between his fingers or the crunch of it under his feet. He liked watching it fall gently as he rode the tram to school each winter morning. He _missed_ it.

Radiant Garden, according to his year-long online friend and fellow Kingdom Fantasy guild member, had the most glorious winters.

She’d had a bit of an ulterior motive when she’d asked Roxas to move to RG and she’d done a piss poor job of hiding it, actually. Rent was going up and neither she nor her girlfriend made enough to stay at their place on their own. They’d need an extra paycheck to keep them afloat. Roxas was an easy choice, having already been searching for somewhere to move and clearly in need of a place to stay once he got to that somewhere. Xion, the aforementioned online friend, and Naminé, the girlfriend, were more than willing to share, especially with a “fellow Rainbow Rider”.

Was that the name of their guild? Yes. Was Xion the one who named said guild? Also yes. Was it a painfully obvious double entendre? Did Roxas have to spell it out?

Regardless, she’d suckered him in with a promise of “the prettiest snow he’d ever see in his entire life” and he’d gone along with it because he was so ready to start fresh somewhere that he’d risk living with an internet stranger to do so.

Thankfully, he’d seen no signs of her being a crazy murdering psycho yet. If anything, both Xion and Naminé were incredibly chill people.

It’d been four months since he’d gotten settled in and they’d fallen into a routine. It mostly revolved around college for all three of them, starting with morning classes and ending with late work shifts. If they were lucky, Roxas and Xion would find time to scrounge in a few hours of Kingdom Fantasy—though Naminé, being more of a single-player type of gal, usually sat their gaming sessions out—before they all eventually passed out and the next day started anew. Weekends were spent studying, lounging with games, drinks and pizza, and maybe, on the off chance they had the energy, going out into the city to do something fun. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Roxas liked being somewhere new. He liked living with his new-ish friends. He _liked_ being independent and free to explore his life options and future plans and even his sexuality. Not that he’d really gotten around to that last one with anyone else.

For now, he was actually a little bored.

And that last one was on his mind a lot more lately.

Maybe it came with living with a couple. Despite his nonexistent interest in women, he certainly noticed…things pertaining to the two he lived with. Things like the soft gazes and the sweet kisses. Things like the unspoken communication and the lingering touches. Things like, uh. Well. They thought they were quieter than they actually were those nights they went for a roll in the hay.

So, on top of being bored, Roxas was mildly curious and mildly horny. It was a bit disturbing to think about because it was mostly on his mind due the activities of the couple in the house, but it was true nonetheless. And with winter break approaching and Roxas having absolutely nothing to do during the next three weeks, he’d found a bravery where he otherwise would’ve wilted and slunk away from the situation in shame.

He tried a dating app.

He didn’t even think he was really looking for a date. He was more interested in sating his own personal curiosity and ridding himself of the nonsensical feeling of being left behind. It was such a stupid way to think, he told himself often. Being a virgin at eighteen was far from abnormal.

But his friends were doing it and he wanted to too. Self-imagined peer pressure was a hell of a thing.

It’d led to an awkward, mildly uncomfortable winter break in which he felt like he was hiding something he didn’t really need to hide from no one in particular. Neither Xion nor Naminé would care what Roxas did in his personal life, and it wasn’t like Roxas’ parents were there to judge him for not meeting someone and going out with them the old-fashioned way.

It felt like he was being watched, though. A strange, overwhelming sense of paranoia washed over him every time he opened that app, as if someone was standing over his shoulder and tutting at him in disapproval.

How ridiculous to let his own fear get the better of him like that.

It never went away, even after he gave himself a coaxing smack. Even after he pushed himself to finally stop hovering his finger over the match button and just press the damn thing.

It’d persisted when he’d found, a week and a half into break, someone who was open and willing to meet up with Roxas for a late lunch in the market square. It’d sent unsettling goosebumps over the nape of his neck, like someone was glaring holes into the back of his head, when he’d nodded yes to an invitation to that someone’s apartment.

…He’d admittedly forgotten about it completely when he’d found himself face down in unfamiliar pillows, biting his lip to hold in the noise bubbling up in his throat as fingers gripped into his hips and skin slapped against his.

But then it was back again as he wandered back to his own apartment, pleasantly sore and missing a sock that had been tossed somewhere without a second thought. He didn’t even really need the stupid thing because it was decidedly _unpleasantly_ warm, enough so that he could’ve forgone the sneakers and just worn sandals, despite the fact that the sun had long since set.

Maybe the feeling of eyes on him was his own nervousness at finally putting himself out there, but that out-of-season heat? He really couldn’t explain that one.

He definitely wasn’t the only one who noticed it either.

Xion’s attention was on him the moment he turned the key, her gaze meeting his once the front door was opened. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, having been there since Roxas left (and thus knowing where he’d gone anyway, much to his internal dismay), dressed in a tank top and shorts, hair blowing slightly in the manufactured breeze generated by the fan she’d turned on.

In the middle of winter.

“How did your date go?” Her eyes swept over his disheveled, tired form before a knowing glint sparked in them. “Never mind, I think I’ve got the picture.”

Roxas huffed, feeling warmth flush his cheeks as he kicked off his shoes and settled next to Xion on the couch. Two laptops were propped up on the coffee table, one of which Xion was hunched over with mouse in hand, fingers rested lightly against the keys.

She knew him too well. He took the distraction easily.

Whatever dungeon her character had been lingering in front of, it must not have been too difficult or attention consuming. It didn’t take long for the sounds of mouse and keyboard clicking to be joined with quiet voices.

“So, was it as awkward and terrifying for you and Nami?” Roxas asked vaguely, hoping his overdramatic wording might bring some levity to the atmosphere. Xion was quick to get with the program.

“Uhh…” The sound of a heartless poofing out of existence punctuated her drawn-out sentence starter. “Naminé wasn’t my first. But yeah it was pretty…different.”

“But you get used to it?”

More clicking and air blowing. More of the sounds of artificial metal clanking and the eerie drone of the dungeon theme. The room, despite the fan running, somehow got _hotter_ , and Roxas found himself wiping a film of sweat from his brow.

“You get used to it,” Xion affirmed.

“Hm.”

“…Did you like it?”

Well.

It was…like she said. Different. Not a bad different. Roxas was glad he’d anticipated the possibility of his night ending this way and prepared accordingly, or it might not have been as pleasant. He doubted it was anything close to what Xion had with Naminé, but it was an experience he could cross off his imaginary bucket list at the very least.

He didn’t dislike it.

“Yeah,” he shrugged.

“Then there’s nothing to be worried about.”

Right. She had a point.

“Think you’ll meet up with him again for the Solstice Celebration?” she continued. She kept it lighthearted, which was exactly what Roxas needed.

“I don’t know. Maybe? Are they even gonna hold it this year?”

“In this goddess-damned heat? Who knows.”

If Roxas was religious enough, he’d agree that Lady Shiva, the Snowbringer, was not doing her job. But he was not religious enough and so he blamed climate change instead. Damned greenhouse gases making him miss out on the biggest winter party in the whole city.

Ha.

“Why’s it so hot anyway? I thought you promised me a glorious winter?” Roxas grinned, nudging Xion with a reminder of the promise she’d used to convince him to move.

“Honestly, I have _no clue_ —change your armor you neanderthal, you’re tanking—but it’s really weird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a winter this hot. Maybe the fire spirits have all been roused?”

As if there was such a thing.

“Or maybe this is a sign of the apocalypse,” Roxas offered with a shrug.

“I honestly expected you to say ‘global warming’.”

“That too.”

With a snort, Xion leaned over and nudged Roxas hard enough to send him flopping against a pillow. He did so laughing, using the nudge as an excuse to finally lay back and get comfortable. Everything was as normal as it’d ever been, despite the very different, very _new_ divergence in Roxas’ routine. He liked that. He liked that this wasn’t a big deal or an awkward moment.

He liked that he didn’t feel any different. He was actually, dare he say it, _satisfied_ with how everything turned out, despite the nerves. He even found himself smiling at the prospect of doing it again.

Though it dampened a bit when a heat flash crept down his spine, settling like a series of prickling cactus needles in his skin, and he barely suppressed a shudder at it. Someone may as well have stuffed him in an oven, and he had to stop playing for a moment and wonder if he was suffering some weird raging bout of hormones or if it was really just that damn hot.

It had persisted too. For the rest of the month, the air in Radiant Garden had become so blistering and dry that the city had to issue an order for the public to stay indoors.

So much for that “glorious winter” he’d looked forward to.

-o-o-o-o-

Despite being robbed of his promised winter wonderland in Radiant Garden, Roxas had stuck the place out for his obligatory four years of purgatory. He’d scrounged a degree out of it and decided that was enough to do whatever he wanted with it, which meant he was no longer tied to his listless days spent in a repetitive routine. Granted, he’d become so close to Xion and Naminé in that time that they were like sisters to him, but he didn’t think he could stand intruding on them more than he already had. They were newly graduated as well and making plans to spend the rest of their lives together, and Roxas felt very out of place during the whole ordeal. They wanted a house and wedding rings and adoption papers. He wanted a job that paid him more than slightly above minimum wage, and a date who lasted longer than a few weeks and wasn’t solely interested in how well Roxas could suck his dick.

He wanted something new again.

And, it was a random, pointless thought, he knew, but he wanted a normal winter back. He was starting to feel like the season was cursed. Every time it came around, he suffered through an inexplicable, infernal heat that baffled scientists and bummed out the residents looking forward to snowman building and ice skating. Hell, it bummed Roxas out too. He hadn’t seen snow in person for the last seven years. It was _weird_. Even Sora, in his house by the beach on his tropical island paradise, had experienced a couple chilly winters. Roxas hadn’t worn his winter coat for so long he was fairly certain it didn’t even fit anymore.

He hadn’t _needed_ to. It made no sense!

He’d found himself complaining about it more than a few times, much to the bafflement of others. Sure, Xion understood, having been trapped in that same weird heat-pocket for the four years Roxas had lived there too, but she’d only chalked it up to bad luck and vengeful deities. It hadn’t stood out to her the way it’d stood out to Roxas. He’d never been much one for wintery landscapes and the holiday cheer that rolled in with the snow, but now that it was gone he found himself paying it a lot more attention.

Maybe he was cursed or something. He couldn’t figure it out for the life of him.

Even now, as he shuffled through his front door, red and panting as he peeled his shirt from sweaty skin that had been at the mercy of yet another heat wave, Roxas dwelled on his odd predicament longer than what one might consider “normal”. It wasn’t as if there was anything else to capture his mind, after all. He found living in his dinky little apartment in Traverse Town to be lonely, honestly.

Well. Kinda lonely.

He was also pretty sure he was being haunted.

Xion’s off-hand comment about a curse had been dismissed with a snort and an eyeroll at first.

And then… _things_ started happening.

Really, “things” had been happening for years—after all, Roxas’ bad luck with cold weather, or rather lack thereof, had been the most glaring issue, but it caught his attention when smaller, less noticeable problems started to pile up. Things like the eerie feeling of being watched, sending uncomfortable prickles over the nape of his neck and causing him to check over his shoulder more than what was normal. Things like hearing noises in his room when he was just at the verge of sleep, leaving him blinking blearily into the darkness as he tried to pinpoint sounds that made no sense or the sensation of breath against his ear. Things like the temperature in his immediate vicinity raising and dropping dramatically with seemingly no catalyst. Sometimes he wondered if they were happening in response to his own actions. It sounded ludicrous at first, but Roxas could swear it would get colder when he came home in a bad mood. Or pleasantly warm when he felt particularly happy. He’d almost think he was the one causing it with his own emotions, but that didn’t quite fit the bill. There’d be times where he’d make some innocuous quip to himself and he’d feel hot air brush his face as if someone was standing in front of him, responding. Sometimes he got a little too caught up in gaming and a chill would run the length of his spine, breaking him out of his zoned state just in time for him to realize he was late for something or forgot he was cooking something. Sometimes he’d bring someone home and end up enduring an uncomfortable, blazing heat that left him feeling lightheaded and dazed, and often resulted in his partner leaving before they could get anywhere. Sometimes he’d wake up in the middle of the night sweating like a pig, confusedly groping at the sheets to peel them off so he could roll over, only to realize that the unoccupied side of his bed was unreasonably warm. It was as if something was reacting to him, rather than him being in control.

Besides, this wasn’t a comic book. Roxas wouldn’t suddenly gain power over the temperature if he got bit by a radioactive whatever.

He just couldn’t quite rule out the possibility that something supernatural was going on.

If it was, it’d be nice if it just left Roxas alone for a bit.

“Damn spirit,” he grumbled under his breath. He didn’t even believe in spirits, but he was willing to suspend his disbelief if it meant this one would stop making a nuisance of itself. “Do me a favor and fuck off, will ya? I can barely _breathe_ in this goddamned heat!”

Nothing.

Granted that could’ve just been Roxas’ high body temperature keeping him trapped in this overheated prison, but he was grumpy enough to believe that his little ghost “buddy” (if it wasn’t just outright a demon) was stringing him along out of spite.

“What’d I even do to you?!” he huffed louder. Thankfully no one lived with him, so no one else had to watch him shout into his empty apartment like a madman.

There was no answer. That only pissed him off more.

“Did I ever come into your home and fuck with your winter? No! Give me a break for once!”

It was probably useless and if his neighbors were home, they were probably giving him the stink-eye through the walls for all his yelling, but it at least made Roxas feel a little better to blame this weirdness on something. In truth, he’d feel _much_ better taking a cold shower and sitting down to get his mind off things.

So that was what he did.

It helped.

At least, it certainly felt cooler in the apartment once he’d freshened up a bit and sat down in front of his desktop. An impulse buy after he’d realized he was going to have yet another shitty holiday season, both weather-wise and life-wise. He’d regretted it once he realized the tradeoff was food, but canned goods had saved him there and he’d learned a valuable lesson in turn: don’t buy gaming rigs you don’t need just because you’re cranky, lonely and hot.

It didn’t stop him from being cranky, lonely and hot, but it did at least take his mind off things.

Computer humming as he woke it up from sleep mode, he started up Kingdom Fantasy and logged in. It looked like everyone was present as all their avatars stood in a group, gearing up and checking their inventory for whatever raid they were going to try next. Voice chat was on as a result of more than one person being online this time, and Roxas turned his sound up to the chime of raucous laughter. Familiar raucous laughter.

“Do I wanna know what you two are cackling about?” he asked, grinning to himself as his best friend and his brother nearly choked themselves hooting over whatever it was that set them off.

“Dude, can you believe it?!” Sora’s grainy voice filtered from the speakers. He’d been invited—well, okay, he’d strong armed his way in—to the party after learning, to his incredible amusement, that Roxas’ party was called the Rainbow Riders. Apparently, according to Sora, he’d “missed out on all the gay”, so Roxas had been pestered into letting him in, despite the fact that Sora sucked at video games.

How someone who was glued at the hip to his favorite boy toy missed out on _any gay_ , Roxas could not fathom. Xion had pouted at him until he relented though. Probably because there were like five people in their party at the time and one of those people never logged in.

Whatever, Sora was there now and even though the rest of the party had to carry his tech-illiterate ass, he did tend to brighten up the server on voice chat. He was forgiven.

“Can I believe what?”

“So I was just telling Xion about how when you left TT, there was a huge snowstorm. Now apparently one just happened in RG the year after you leave,” Sora continued, giggling at the irony of it.

Which was all well and good for him but now Roxas was pissed all over again.

“What the fuck.”

“Roxas is haunted, confirmed,” Xion ever so helpfully stated.

“F in the chat for Rox,” Sora _ever so helpfully added._

A small chorus of F’s echoed through Roxas’ living room like a pathetic dirge.

He was still stuck on this new information though. It happened _again_?!

He could perfectly recall the conversation he’d had with Hayner and Pence after he’d gotten settled into Radiant Garden. It was barely at the cusp of autumn and the biggest snowstorm Twilight Town had ever seen hit the city like a hammer. People were so snowed in that they couldn’t leave their houses because of the way snow had piled up against their doors, leaving them locked in for days. And those were the lucky ones that weren’t out and about when it happened. It had been the most baffling thing, even afterward when the weather calmed down and the usual chill that blanketed TT in autumn was back in place. The next time it snowed, it was natural and perfect.

And Roxas had missed it being stuck in RG’s first heatwave in _decades_.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Roxas drifted off after the last verbal “F” hung in the air like a taunt.

“You know,” one voice chimed in, belonging to what Roxas was mildly certain was a familiar face. He had a feeling this guy, Joshua, lived in the same city as him because he’d heard his voice out in the wild more than a few times. “I know a guy, who knows a guy, who might be able to take care of your spirit problem.”

“Knock it off,” came a voice from the background of Joshua’s mic. Decidedly male and proof that their snarky party member was a fellow Rainbow Rider for a reason (apparently; Roxas didn’t really care as much as Xion did). “No shamans or reapers or whatever you’re about to bullshit at him.”

“Once again, you’ve ruined my fun,” Joshua sighed forlornly. Another voice from another mic pitched in shortly after—

“Try shaking salt around your pad to keep it out, maybe?”

—with incredibly unhelpful advice.

“What is this, Hocus Pocus?” Roxas snorted right at the same time a bland “that only works in fairy tales, Rikku” chimed in from Rikku’s mic from her girlfriend.

“It’s a suggestion!” was Rikku’s only defense.

“I mean, if whatever’s haunting Rox is powerful enough to change the weather, then I don’t think salt will do anything.” Somehow, Sora managed to speak logically, and egg on the “Roxas is haunted” narrative all in the same sentence. Bravo for him.

“Have you considered an option that doesn’t include the supernatural? Perhaps Roxas’ own mental and emotional state is contributing to the _feeling_ that he might be haunted or cursed?” Ienzo, the other newest party member—invited before Sora in an attempt to replace the no-show—added in a methodical tenor. Ever the logical one. Too bad there was a glaring flaw in his reasoning this time. One Xion was happy to point out.

“That doesn’t explain why it’s perpetual summer everywhere he goes.”

“Yup.” Sora’s lips popped on the “p”, punctuating his matter-of-fact tone. “Rox isn’t the only one experiencing it either. Ask around.”

“Hell, you don’t even have to do that. I’m pretty sure Roxas and I go to the same grocery store, and I can confirm: it’s fucking hot out here,” Joshua responded, proving Roxas’ theory that they lived in the same city correct. And confirming that Roxas was indeed far from the only one experiencing this weird heat that followed him.

“That is quite odd. Granted, it could also be coincidence. We can’t rule out the idea that these heat waves are simply bad timing. On the other hand, the way they’ve been baffling scientists raises a few eyebrows. If no one saw them coming and has no explanation for them…” Ienzo’s quiet conjecture gave no answers and only pointed in the same direction everyone else had gone in.

“In short, tell your spirit buddy to turn the thermostat down a bit,” Xion chuckled. Roxas appreciated her attempt to lighten the subject, but it didn’t quite stop the unease that he felt at the idea that something was constantly there, watching him and reacting to him in ways that affected the very atmosphere around him. And he couldn’t even see it. It could be anywhere and he’d never know.

It could even be hovering over his shoulder and listening to his conversation right now…

A prickly sensation traveled down his spine and Roxas jumped in his spot before warily scanning the area around him. For what, he couldn’t begin to say. There was no one else there, as usual. God was he beginning to get paranoid though.

“This is getting a little too weird for me…” he sighed, running a hand over his face and grimacing when his fingers came away wet with sweat. It wasn’t as gruelingly hot as it was earlier this time, but it was still warm enough to warrant turning on a fan.

“Maybe you ought to come back here. Get rid of this snowstorm,” Xion joked. Naminé must’ve been close by because a quiet “hear, hear” from her followed up.

“You could move to Macalania. I don’t think _anything_ could penetrate that cold,” Rikku tossed out there, not considering the fact that it was cold year-round in Macalania and Roxas was not interested in that sort of weather.

“Or you could come here,” Sora suggested, though he was more sincere about it. “We don’t get snow anyway, so it’s not like you’d affect the weather much.”

Sora, of course, forgot to mention that his boyfriend’s family was rich and he actually had the munny to move somewhere like Destiny Islands. And Roxas was not interested in living with his brother. He loved Sora to death, just as any sibling would, but between being dragged around by the most social person he’d ever met and being stuck in a house with fuckin’ _Riku_ , Roxas would have to decline.

It was funny, though, that he was already considering leaving.

“Damn, I’ve barely been in Traverse for a year and you guys are already trying to get me out?”

“I mean,” Joshua cut in. “Traverse is decent in the best districts and a shithole in the worst, so honestly? I’d say listen to Xi or your brother and get out of dodge while you can. And take that nasty heat with you, it’s making Neku crabby.”

“Shut up, asshole. You’re getting a kick out of it.” That must’ve been Neku’s voice filtering through Joshua’s mic then. And while Joshua might’ve been getting a kick out of his boyfriend being grouchy, he and probably the rest of Traverse Town, was most likely serious about wanting the heat to stop.

But hell, Roxas wanted it to stop too. Leaving wouldn’t solve that.

And it’d be ridiculous to keep moving around just to escape the heat, right? Maybe he wasn’t _actually_ haunted anyway? Maybe Ienzo was right and it was all in his head? It’d be better to just stick it out and deal with the ridiculous temperatures and the aimless work days and the dark, dreary city, and the constant neon shining through his windows at night, and the crippling loneliness—

…

Nah. Wasn’t worth it.

-o-o-o-o-

Roxas considered it lucky that he’d only lived in Traverse Town for just under a year.

It meant he’d never gotten around to donating the boxes.

They were all conveniently packed into his tiny apartment closet, taking up space and earning his ire every time he bothered to actually venture inside it. Ready to be used again whenever he bothered to move. Which was honestly happening sooner than he’d expected, but hey. What could he say? He wasn’t getting anything out of living in Traverse Town anyway, and he really didn’t even like it there that much. There was no attachment; it made it easy to leave.

He wasn’t quite sure where he’d go, though.

He hadn’t wanted to end up back in Twilight Town. Much as he loved his home, that felt like a step backwards. And, though he was aware of how irrational a fear it was, he was a little afraid to go back and watch everyone go about their lives without him in it. He’d been gone for so long that he wasn’t a part of anyone’s routine anymore. There was no more Usual Spot, no more summer jobs, no more skateboarding in the park or practicing Struggle in the Sandlot. It wasn’t high school and though he still talked to his friends, he wasn’t as ingrained in their lives as he used to be. It would’ve felt like intruding. Like he was being judged.

Olette did find and marry that perfect guy, and Hayner, despite his own relationship troubles, had a kid to take care of, and Pence was married to his work anyway. What had Roxas done with his life? Move around a lot? Sure, the travel was nice, but it didn’t really mean anything. Graduating college wasn’t exactly a unique feat and his own relationship woes left him as single as Hayner and Pence, but without the things that gave them their own sense of purpose in life like a son or a career. Roxas still didn’t know what he wanted to do career-wise; he’d been job-hopping ever since he left home and none of them were “career material”. He couldn’t for the life of him keep a relationship and he wasn’t interested in having kids.

He felt lost.

Maybe that was why he drunkenly dumped all of his emotions on his oldest brother one night. Or why Ven, in turn, suggested that Roxas move to Daybreak Town.

It’d mean he was closer to family without going back home, or so Ven reasoned. He’d be free to live how he wanted without anyone breathing down his neck or “judging” him. He wouldn’t be so lonely. And he wouldn’t have to deal with those ridiculous housing prices or that heinous island heat that he’d be suffering if he decided to go live near Sora instead.

It’d been a convincing argument to Roxas’ lushed out brain and had continued to be so after he’d sobered up the next morning.

So.

Roxas was moving. Again.

Xion had laughed at him for it, but he knew not to take it seriously. She and Naminé had also been equally as encouraging over the idea. They must’ve noticed how depressed he was starting to feel in Traverse. He was online everyday trying to escape normal life, after all. It was definitely time for a change of pace.

Funnily enough, Daybreak Town certainly felt like a change of pace.

It was big, crowded, lively…

Roxas didn’t have too hard a time finding a decent apartment for his budget, but the trade-off was living in a “not-so-nice” neighborhood.

Which wasn’t a big deal, because Traverse Town’s “nice” neighborhoods still weren’t as glamorous as Daybreak Town’s worst.

And hey, he got to live pretty close to his brother too.

The biggest hurdle beyond that was finding a new job, which Roxas was currently in the midst of now that he was settled in. Ven and Terra were out and about with him as well, so that was pretty nice.

Well. _Mostly_ pretty nice.

Terra was a good guy, and especially good to Ven, but sometimes Roxas didn’t get him. Particularly now as he stood at the edge of the sidewalk, just by a food stall, and stared out into the marketplace crowd with his arms crossed. Silent as the grave.

“…What’s he doing?”

Ven peeked back at Terra, barely even blinking at the odd image that his dazed and distracted boyfriend presented.

“People-watching. It calms his nerves.”

Huh. Well, whatever floated his boat. That’d probably explain why Terra was constantly so mellow. Though what he’d have frayed nerves over, Roxas had no idea.

“Kay. Well, anyway, what were you saying about Scala?”

“The heart of the city,” Ven explained, placing his hands behind his head in a gesture that Roxas never quite picked up, despite Sora copying it to a T. “It’s got jobs galore if you’re looking for something fast.”

“But is it steady?” Roxas wondered aloud. His eyebrows furrowed as he dwelled on Ven’s suggestion. Working in the heart of the city certainly seemed like a fast way to get a job, but Roxas didn’t know what he’d be settling for. He wasn’t much of a people person and he didn’t want to get stuck in a job that involved interacting with the public…in _the busiest part of the public_.

Needless to say, he wouldn’t keep a job like that for long.

“Depends on what you go for. But I know you. You want something quiet,” Ven grinned. Roxas couldn’t help smiling back at that. Go figure he’d know just what to say.

“You’ve already got something in mind, don’t you?” he chuckled. Ven’s grin widened, flashing pearly whites in that typical excitable way Ven had about him.

“I’ve got a few buddies in Central Square that I might have recommended you to. Right in the Town Building where you won’t have to deal with the public _too_ much. Plus, it’s right under the clock tower. I thought that might give you a little bit of home too…”

The location and the lack of public wrangling was attractive, but…

“You’re being weirdly vague about what the job actually is.”

“I gotta keep some secrets. Otherwise, there’s no fun in it!” Ven laughed, ignoring Roxas’ eyeroll. Of course he wanted this to be a surprise.

“Plus, I don’t work there, so it’s better you get the deets from someone who does. I’m sure you’ll like it though, from what I do know of it.”

Alright, well… Roxas would trust Ven on this. Neither of his brothers had ever let him down, and he wasn’t going to start doubting now.

“Fine. When do we go? Today?” Roxas asked, sticking his hands in his pockets in the hopes that he’d hide his clenching fingers. He was excited now, but he didn’t want it to show until he knew for sure he had the gig. He wasn’t even particularly prepared, dressed in street clothes and sans a copy of his resumé, but he found himself giddy nonetheless. He didn’t want to go too long without a job anyway. His savings were meager and he was one rent payment away from outright moving in with Ven. Truly this move had been a leap of faith. The prospect of a job this soon, especially one he might actually like, was like music to his ears.

“Nah, I just wanted to hang out with you today. It’s been a while,” Ven shrugged. He made a fair point, too. Roxas hadn’t seen Ven in person in way too long. Even Sora had dropped by Radiant Garden to help Roxas move to Traverse Town the year before.

It was only so unfortunate that he brought Riku along.

“It has been a while,” Roxas nodded in agreement. It was good to see Ven again, and especially to spend the day with him. And Terra, technically.

“You should come over for dinner. Terra’s grilling and let me tell you, he has a way with meat that is pure magic.”

“I did not need to know that.”

Roxas laughed as he dodged a swat from Ven, getting a kick out of how red his face started to turn.

“Not _that_ way!”

“Whatever, I’m gonna head home first and shower—” Because, as usual, it was stupidly hot outside. “—so Terra can go ahead and work his magic on your meat before I swing by.”

“You’re such a little shit, you know that?” Ven finally cracked, bursting into snickers despite the embarrassed flushed that still glowed across his cheeks.

“You wouldn’t have me any other way,” Roxas shrugged, smirking when Ven snorted and waved him off.

“Be over by six, it should be done then.”

“You got it. See ya then, Terra!”

Terra finally shook out of his reverie, raising an eyebrow at Roxas before it registered to him that he was being addressed. The curiosity was quickly replaced with a soft smile.

“See you then, Rox,” he waved back. In a lower voice, though not low enough that Roxas couldn’t hear, he leaned over and asked Ven “When am I seeing him?”

“Dinner.”

“Ah.”

Laughter trailed behind Roxas as he shook his head and turned on his heel, heading for his little apartment complex near the gardens. The whole city was actually incredibly reminiscent of RG for Roxas, and he appreciated the touch of familiarity even in streets he still wasn’t quite accustomed to. He’d only gotten settled in a couple days prior and was finally free of boxes and clutter. Already he felt lighter too. No longer weighed down by a sense of loneliness and a lack of belonging. It was funny, because he hadn’t been all that upset when his brothers first left home, but being near even one of them again filled a piece of the void that was starting to grow within him. As much as he’d felt it necessary to let Xion and Naminé go about their lives without him being so entangled in it, he couldn’t help but miss them when he left. He couldn’t help but miss his family once they were no longer within reach. He wasn’t the best at making friends and he tended to cling to those close to him as a result, more so than even _he_ thought he had.

Even this close proximity, this promise of dinners in familiar atmospheres and with familiar faces, immediately lifted his mood.

A warmth filled him at the thought. It settled into his skin, even. Blanketed him like a cozy sweater and wrapped around him like a gentle pair of arms. The sort of warmth that made him smile, even in this godforsaken heat.

Maybe it was his spirit “buddy”. Heh. Maybe even _they_ were enjoying the good mood that washed over Roxas like a spring breeze.

Then again, they were probably also the reason it was once again summer weather in the middle of winter, but Roxas had learned to accept it at this point.

Though…

He had to admit that dragging his feet up two flights of stairs, even in an air-conditioned building, wasn’t exactly doing wonders for his good mood. He’d slipped into his apartment with a heavy sigh, plucking at his clothes in an attempt to peel them from his skin where they’d started to stick. Kicking his shoes off, he pressed against the cool metal of his door and debated on whether to take a quick shower and be on time for dinner or dump some cold water in his tub and take a long, cool bath.

The latter was starting to win out.

“Damn this heat,” he sighed, fanning himself with his shirt as he debated forgoing clothes entirely before he even made it to the bathroom. It wasn’t like anyone else was there to care if he walked around naked—

“I don’t think it’s so bad.”

“ _What the_ —”

To say that Roxas jumped a foot into the air at the unfamiliar voice that responded to him would be an understatement. He was sure if his ribs weren’t there to stop it, his heart would’ve leapt out of his chest. His eyes darted from side to side, frantically searching for the source of the voice.

Nothing.

Hell, maybe he was actually going crazy and there really were no such things as spirits.

“Sorry. Over here.”

There it was again. Roxas jumped again.

“Whoa man, no need to be so jittery,” that same voice chuckled, silky smooth and laced with mirth. And wholly unfamiliar.

Hand over his still racing heart, Roxas peered around again, wondering what nonsense his mind was about to trick him into seeing…

And then his eyes landed on a figure perched on the back of his couch.

A fascinating…strange… _horrifying_ figure.

Not horrifying in an “I see dead people” kind of way, but rather in that it was a person…who was glowing dull red and translucent enough for Roxas to see the rest of his living room through them. Him.

It was indeed a man. Tall and lean, dressed in, of all things, a short-sleeved hoodie and jeans. Aside from the fact that he was see-through, he’d almost look normal. Sporting bright red, spiky hair and covered in tattoos, sure, but it wasn’t as if Roxas couldn’t have come across someone who looked similar while walking down the street.

There was something else about him, though. Something strange.

Aside from the obvious glowing and looking all ghosty.

“Are…are you the spirit that’s been haunting me?” It felt ridiculous to say out loud. Roxas wanted to scream to the heavens that he didn’t believe in such things. He couldn’t possibly be haunted when there was no such thing as ghosts or ghouls or spirits. Or demons. Roxas wasn’t entirely sure _what_ he was looking at, but it sure as hell wasn’t human.

And it was proof, above all else. Proof that Roxas was being haunted by _something_.

“Uh…I guess spirit would best describe what I am, but yeah. I’ve been here this whole time,” the spirit answered, shrugging.

Roxas was certain if his jaw had dropped any harder, it’d have left a dent in his floor. This was really happening. Really, seriously, _actually_ happening. And had been since that first winter where he sat on the steps with Olette, lamenting the hot weather that precluded the winter festival.

“…This whole time?”

“This _whole_ time,” his long-time spirit “buddy” affirmed.

Unbelievable. Roxas was actually being haunted. That _whole goddamned time_.

He was kinda pissed.

“You owe me eight years worth of winter, asshole.”

Maybe that wasn’t the nicest…or smartest thing to say to a literal spirit, but it was the first thing that came to Roxas’ mind.

Said spirit only grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as an embarrassed flush started to creep over the bridge of his nose. It was a wonder to watch, as if that area of his skin started to grow radiantly brighter. And then the temperature in the room started to rise, leaving Roxas standing in his entryway flabbergasted and overheated.

“Sorry about that. I know I haven’t had the best handle on my emotions and that can translate into the weather if I’m not careful.”

Wha— He seriously had control of the weather? It shouldn’t even be a surprise, but Roxas couldn’t make the connection mentally. This otherwise normal looking man…spirit…thing had that kind of power?!

“Who are you?! _What_ are you?!” Roxas cried out, throwing his hands up in frustration. It was a simple question with a hopefully simple answer, which made it a better place to start than anywhere else.

“Oh, right!” Mr. Spirit-Glowy-Guy snapped his fingers as if it just occurred to him that he should introduce himself to the man he’d been ghost-stalking for eight years. If not longer. “Name’s Axel. As for what I am…”

He—Axel—trailed off with his fingers tapping his chin as he slumped against Roxas’ couch in thought. Which was confusing in and of itself. Shouldn’t Axel know what he is?

“It might be best if I show you,” Axel finally said.

He stepped away from the couch then, moving with an inhuman fluidity to the center of the living room, just before the carpet gave way to tile. His eyes closed and his frame was still and silent, so much so that Roxas could hear his own pulse in his ears. Axel glowed brighter and brighter, gradually and smoothly until it reached a point where Roxas was squinting at the gleaming light source where the spirit once stood.

It appeared formless at first. Only at first.

As it gained definition, Roxas realized he was looking at an unnaturally red flame. One that flickered in place like a crackling bonfire, though it didn’t spread and it didn’t burn. Roxas felt uncomfortably hot in its presence, but not in that searing, smoky way that would cause him to shy away from the flame. Instead, he drew closer to it.

He didn’t dare touch it…but he couldn’t deny that he wanted to. Just to see if it felt like a real fire too.

That was ridiculous though, right? Who would want to touch a fire…spirit.

Axel was…a fire spirit.

Oh.

That explained a lot.

“You see now? This is why you haven’t seen snow in so long,” Axel explained, voice garbled and echoey as if he was speaking through his fingers in a large, empty room. He seemed to realize how barely intelligible this made him as his form slowly reverted back to the red, translucent man in a hoodie. And even then little embers glowed on his clothing and hair.

That certainly explained the _how_. Not so much the _why_.

“Why’d you do it?” Roxas asked, brow scrunched as he tried to figure out what he did to be robbed of winter for eight years straight.

“Honestly, it wasn’t even on purpose. I just wanted you to notice me. And you’d go on about your business and I guess I just felt…left out?”

“You could’ve said ‘hi’ or something. I wouldn’t have minded meeting you.” Sure, Roxas would’ve questioned his sanity, but eventually he’d have gotten used to the idea of a fire spirit following him around.

Though he supposed Axel waiting this long was for the best. By this point, Roxas was more than ready to believe it. More than that, he was relieved that Axel’s presence was no longer a mystery.

“The funny thing is…I did.”

“Wait…huh?” When? Roxas certainly didn’t remember hearing voices at any point. He’d have definitely noticed _that_.

“Yeah, it was like you couldn’t hear me. Or like you had to believe I was there to notice me. I know you’re not big on spirits, so maybe you just had to acknowledge that we exist before you could see me,” Axel shrugged.

He…had a point.

Though none of this solved the big, glaring issue. The reason they were both here in the first place.

“So, how do we fix this?” Roxas didn’t think he owed a random fire spirit his attention just for the sake of getting winter back, but…

But he couldn’t deny that he was curious. He was curious about this glowing translucent man covered in tattoos and sporting fiery red hair. He was curious what it was about him that drew a fire spirit to him. He was curious as to why Axel was curious about him.

If sending Axel away was the fix to the problem, Roxas wasn’t considering it just yet. He was pissed, yeah, but…

He thought back to that year of loneliness he felt in Traverse Town and wondered if that was how Axel felt for the last eight years. He didn’t think he could stomach making Axel suffer any more of that, if that was the case.

“I’m…not exactly an expert at this. I was newly made barely a decade before you were born, so I’m still getting used to my own powers. And when my emotions run high, it’s hard to get a handle on them. Practice is really my best bet…” Axel trailed off, rubbing his jaw in contemplation. Something about what he said stood out to Roxas, though. Emotions running high? What would have caused that?

“What do you mean your emotions were running high?” Roxas asked. He thought he at least deserved to know what was causing Axel enough emotional distress that he would completely eradicate winter everywhere Roxas went.

The sheepish look on his face was particularly suspect. As was the awkward cough.

“It’s selfish, honestly. You probably don’t wanna hear it—”

“No, I do,” Roxas cut him off, crossing his arms. “I wanna know.”

An awkward glance away prefaced the word vomit that followed.

“It’s like I said, I felt left out. I mean, I always saw you from the clocktower in Twilight Town, because I always hung around there to make sure summer came in without a hitch—it’s kinda my _job_ —and you just stood out to me. Yeah you were the awkward skater kid and everyone looked at your brothers more, but I liked how sincere you were. And how tightknit you were with everyone close to you. And how perfect your smile is—er, I mean…”

Was this going in the direction Roxas thought it was going?

“Well, I… You reached, y’know, that age, and you started dating and I kinda hated the idea that I wouldn’t even have a chance because you didn’t believe in spirits, meanwhile everyone you dated got to experience all your firsts with you and go out with you and cuddle up with you and—”

“You were jealous?” What. That was…

What.

“Damn, don’t say it like that.” Though Axel wasn’t exactly denying it with how he rubbed the back of his head again and looked away.

Roxas was kinda mindblown, though.

His spirit “buddy”, who’d been haunting him for longer than he’d even known, was jealous that Roxas was dating other people.

So he involuntarily took away winter.

This sounded like something out of a particularly corny supernatural romance novel.

Roxas couldn’t help that he started laughing. Even when Axel stared at him, expression a mixture of disbelief and confusion, he couldn’t stop laughing. Even when his stomach started to hurt and his eyes prickled with tears, it only started to die down when he could no longer breathe.

This was the most insane…most ludicrous…most mystifying situation Roxas had ever been in.

Somehow, he found he didn’t mind.

“Wow, I should start a comedy skit,” Axel snarked, watching Roxas grab at his sides as he tried to catch his breath. “The Love Struck Fire Spirit who was Too Much of a Weenie to Ask his Crush Out. It’s apparently a laughter goldmine.”

“No, I’m not laughing at you,” Roxas chuckled as he wiped at his eyes. “I just…can’t believe this whole situation. Well, I _can_ , but it’s—”

“Crazy? Yeah, you can imagine the big guys on top aren’t too happy with a spirit falling for a human. I’m probably in deep shit with Ifrit right now…”

Ha. The fleeting thought that Xion would feel very validated knowing that her gods were indeed real came and went, making way for the return of that burning curiosity. No pun intended.

“You really like me that much?” After all, to say he “fell for Roxas” wasn’t a light statement. And it was supported by eight years of overly hot winters and the feeling of a presence that stuck with Roxas, palpable but just out of reach.

And a confession accompanied by glowing red blushes and awkward side glances.

It was kind of cute.

Roxas didn’t know Axel anywhere near as well as Axel apparently knew him, and he couldn’t say that he felt the same as a result, but…

Maybe he could? Someday, at least. He could certainly try—he was _willing_ to try. Axel was an anomaly, a damn attractive one at that, and Roxas wanted to know more. He could at least do them both a favor and get to know the guy.

“Are you always gonna be see-through?” Roxas asked, shuffling closer and reaching out to touch Axel. The closer his fingers got, the hotter his skin became, but it didn’t burn.

To his surprise, his fingers met resistance. Axel was hot to the touch. Not quite human, but there was skin beneath Roxas’ fingerpads.

In fact, he seemed a bit more solid too when Roxas’ gaze trailed over him.

“Nope. The more you believe in me, the more material I become to you. See? It’s even working now,” Axel explained. His voice was soft as he spoke. As if he didn’t want to shatter the moment.

“Yeah, it is,” Roxas nearly whispered. Axel’s quiet laugh followed.

“You can’t ask how much I like you and then turn around and do this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I…” What wasn’t spoken was clearly heard regardless. Axel finished his sentence with cautiously hopeful eyes, boring into Roxas’ as he searched for an answer he hoped to hear.

“You want me to like you back.” It wasn’t a question. It was clear what Axel wanted.

It was also too much at once.

Roxas had gotten home expecting to take a cool bath before going over to his brother’s place to have dinner. He had not expected to meet the spirit that had been taking away his snowy winters for eight years. He had not expected to learn that this very same spirit loved him. It was a dizzying amount of information and Roxas needed time to process it. They’d have to start slow.

“How about this?” he proposed, grinning up at Axel lightly. He was met with a quirked eyebrow and a questioning stare.

“You let it snow tonight, and I’ll tough out the cold with you. We can watch holiday movies or something and actually get to know each other.”

It wasn’t much of an offer by most standards, but it gave Roxas an opportunity to get used to this. To the idea that this spirit was a real, tangible thing. A _person_ , with thoughts and feelings and emotions. Emotions that, when wayward, caused heatwaves in the dead of winter, but emotions nonetheless.

More than that, it brightened up Axel’s entire demeanor, and the ridiculous heat that had filled Roxas’ apartment settled into a toasty warmth in conjunction with the gleaming smile Roxas was met with.

“You got a deal.”


End file.
